Laugh and Live eBook

There are four seasons in married life—­spring,
summer, fall and winter, and we are going to need
a comrade as we go through each of them. And
the one we want is the one we start with—­the
gentle partner in all our joys and sorrows. It
is she who will stand back of us when all others fail.
When the children come along to bless our days and
inspire us to greater efforts we are glad to look
into their happy, smiling faces and find that they
resemble their mother—­their soft cheeks
are like hers, their hands, their dainty ways, their
caresses. And when mama looks into those same
bright eyes they make her think of their daddy.
The fond affection bestowed upon the children by both
parents is but another mode of expressing their regard
for each other.

Springtime days, these! When little tots climb
up and entwine their arms about our necks. If
this were married life’s only compensation it
would not prove in vain—­for when the babies
enter the home the tie that binds becomes hard and
fast—­if the man is a manly man.
To become the father of a bright-eyed babe is an experience
of the highest importance to a young man getting started.
It reinforces his courage, doubles up his ambitions
and puts him on his metal. He has a new
responsibility and it adds to his strength of character
to assume it in all its phases. Another thing
it brings comfort and joy to the mother during the
long days while her man is out in the fray. It
drives ennui out of the household throughout our springtime
days.

And when summer comes along new hopes dawn within
us. Springtime had found us up and doing and
when it merged into the new season we found our aspirations
even stronger than before. Children must be educated
and their futures prepared in advance as far as may
be. They must not go into the world without
tools to work with. Meanwhile the household
teems with plans and becomes a veritable dreamland
of youthful fervor. We find that having helped
our children into attractive personalities they have
become magnets with which to draw about us their comrades.
Thus we hold on to our youth by virtue of our surroundings—­creatures
of our thoughtfulness concerning “wedlock
in time.”

That the fall season is coming has no terrors for
us. There will be the weddings and plannings
for new homes close by—­if we have
our say. And in due course, the grandchildren
will come who will favor grandpa and grandma and once
again youth knocks at our door. There will be
no dread winter days for us for we have been forehanded—­we
have a new crew on board to chase away the cares
of old age and infirmities.

Try how we will there is no way to forestall the operation
of the law of compensation. We reap as we sow.
The world will be good to those who compel its respect
by becoming the right sort of citizens. Wedlock
in time—­that’s the answer!